How oldest Singaporean to swim the English Channel in a relay team trained – and why he says to forget age and stay active
- Ng Chee Soon, who at 60 swam across the Channel in a four-man relay team, started training in the pool before adding in open water, cold water and dark swimming
- Some advised him he was too old for the swim – to which he says it is important to take on new challenges, and his achievement has inspired others to do so
When Singaporean Ng Chee Soon learned that one of his friends wanted to swim across the English Channel, he says he thought he was “crazy”.
“I couldn’t imagine doing it myself because it seemed like an insurmountable task, but I was also in awe of him,” says the 61-year-old retired managing director.
But then another friend, a fellow swimmer from the Singapore Swimming Club’s Masters Swim Training programme, approached Ng with the idea of putting together a four-man relay team to undertake the 33km (20.5-mile) swim and invited him to be a part of it.
“At first, my reaction was one of incredulity, but since it was a personal invitation, I promised to think about it, and six months later, I agreed,” Ng says.
In July 2023, Ng was part of the first Singaporean relay team to swim across the body of water separating England from France. At 60, he was the oldest on the team, which also included Mark Tan, then 45; Lim Chee Kiong, then 54; and Alvin Tam, then 41.
“The entire swim lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes. We took turns swimming every hour until we reached our destination. In total, we each swam three legs,” Ng says.
